Shoe polishing mit

ABSTRACT

A shoe polishing mit formed of a bag member dimensioned to encompass a human hand. The bag member is formed of a relatively inexpensive non-abrasive felted material, and a portion of one side of the bag is impregnated with a polishing or protective substance such as wax subject to deposition on the surface to be polished by physical contact of the impregnated area with the surface to be polished. A wax distributing flap and seam are provided to implement distribution of the wax.

Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorney-Robert W. Fiddler ABSTRACT A shoe polishing mit formed of a bag member dimensioned to encompass a human hand. The bag member H0494, 15/227 is formed of a relatively inexpensive non-abrasive A47 13/314 felted material, and a portion of one side of the bag is impregnated with a polishing or protective substance such as wax subject to deposition on the surface to be polished by physical contact of the impregnated area 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures W 1 m r m m fr M w 0 H W fire/Fr M N 1 w m m M 1 r W l I r r f are w 1 Lu 4 I United States Patent Kaplan SHOE POLISHING MIT Inventor: Milton Kaplan, Rockville Center,

[73] Assignee: Sentinel Bag and Paper Co., Inc., Brooklyn, NY.

Mar. 22, 1972 [22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.: 236,945

[52] U.S. [51] Int.

3 R 96 MM 2 M1 0 4 N8 5 l U2 MR 9 0 m2 .moo 5 r fi 5 S1. ll 0 d l e i F l 00 5 1.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,940,728 OConnor...............................

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS SHOE POLISHING MIT BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to the art of polishing mits, and more particularly to an improved mit carrying and applying polish to a surface to be polished, and thereafter buffing and cleaning the surface.

Conventional shoe polishing equipment requiring containers for shoe polish, applicator devices, buffing cloths, and brushes are relatively bulky, tend to become messy, and are not subject to be carried about by a traveler, or to be disposed of economically. Thus the traveler finds it inconvenient to carry with him the necessary shoe polishing equipment, and must resort to public shoe shine'facilities which are often not available, or require too much time.

In the present tight labor market, in the absence of public shoe shine facilities, many public accommodation establishments, such as hotels, motels, and the like presently provide their customers with shoe polishing facilities in their rooms. Where the provided facilities are in the form of polishing brushes and wax applicators, the expense is often uneconomical. Where the equipment is in the form of a disposable polishing cloth such as is sometimes employed, the quality of shine leaves much to be desired. Some travelers in an attempt to alleviate the problem often find it desirable to carry with them some sort of shoe polishing equipment which is relatively bulky and results in a dirtying of the hands of the user and an undesirable expenditure of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is with the above considerations in mind that the present improved polishing mit has been evolved, a polishing mit particularly adapted for use in polishing shoes, subject to being carried by the user, without occupying significant space in luggage, and not subject to dirtying adjacent articles, and sufficiently inexpensive so as to be economically disposable after use.

It is accordingly among the primary objects of this invention to provide an improved inexpensive polishing mit, particularly adapted for use in polishing "shoes, and subject to' use as a give-away item'in motels, or hotels, or subject to being carried by the traveler with minimal inconvenience.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved shoe polishing mit subject to being packed with conventional articles of clothing in a suitcase without dirtying the adjacent articles of clothing, and occupying minimal space in the suitcase.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe polishing mit of sufficiently inexpensive construction so that it may be economically disposed of after use.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a shoe polishing mit which will apply the necessary shoe polish, and permit buffing and cleaning of the shoe without requiring separate shoe polish containers, or buffing, or brushing appliances.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by forming a mit of a flat bag-shaped rectangular configuration, such that the mit may readily be formed on conventional 'paper bag forming equipment. The bag-shaped mit-is of a dimension to encompass the human hand, and is preferably formed of an inexpensive relatively soft absorbent material. A variety of felted products have been proven satisfactory. Applied to one surface of the bag on a portion thereof is a wax impregnant of a type which is solid at room temperatures and will remain embedded in the portion of the bag to which applied until physically contacted under pressure. However, upon application of this waxed bag surface to a shoe or the like surface to be polished, sufficient wax will be transferred from the bag to the surface to be polished so as to obtain desired coating of the surface to be polished.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the polishing mit lends itself to fabrication by conventional paper bag forming techniques, utilizing conventional bag forming equipment, and the application of the necessary polishing wax to the mit is obtained by the utilization of conventional bag printing technology.

Another feature of the invention resides in the formation of a wax distributing flap and seam on the mit adjacent the wax impregnated area of the mit to implement spreading of the wax or polish over the shoe area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The specific details of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and their mode of functioning, will be particularly pointed out in clear, concise and exact terms in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a polishing mit formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention, showing the wax applicator surface of the polishing mit;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the obverse buffing and polishing face of the mit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 through the mit; and

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 through the mit of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be employed to designate like parts.

As seen in the drawings, the mit 10 is illustratively shown to be formed of a flat bag-shaped configuration, which will preferably be of a dimension to accommodate a human hand. A bag of approximately 6 inches by.8 inches is generally found adequate. The bag as illustratively-shown is formed of a sheet of material folded along fold lines spaced to define the lateral edges 12 and 14 of the bag. One of the folded over portions is overlapped on the other to provide a flap 15, with a seam 16 formed by a glue line joining the folded over portions. One end 17 of the folded sheet material is folded over upon itself to provide a closed end to the bag forming the mit 10, while leaving open end 18 (shown at the bottom of FIG. 1) for the insertion of a hand. The folded end 17 is adhered to the underlying bag surface by means of a suitable adhesive or heat sealing techniques as generally employed in the bag forming arts.

It is preferred that the obverse side of the bag from that illustrated in FIG. 1, at the open end 18 be cut away as at 19 to facilitate insertion of the hand into the bag as seen in FIG. 2.

The material of which the bag'is formed is-preferably of an absorbent, inexpensive material. Felted materials are found particularly suitable. Masslinn non-woven material marketed by Chicoppee Mills has been found eminently suitable.

As seen in FIG. 1, the face of the mit having the flap 15 is formed with a wax impregnated area 20. By providing the waxed area 20 on the mit surface having the flap l and seam 16, it is found that the surface irregularity provided by the flap l5 and seam 16 aids in distribution of the wax from the mit to a surface to be polished. The flap 15, which is loose with respect to the mit surface, exerts a trowelling effect in spreading the wax.

A satisfactory wax impregnant is obtained utilizing the P l3l6 formulation marketed by Malcolm Nichols Wax Co., which becomes liquid when heated to a temperature of about 135 F and solidifies at a temperature below 120 F so that at normal room temperature it is substantially solid.

In order to protect the wax from being inadvertantly rubbed off the wax bearing surface of the mit, a fold line 22 is provided to facilitate folding of the mit to cover the wax impregnated area 20, during periods of non-use of the mit.

In fabricating the mit as illustratively shown in the drawings, conventional bag-forming equipment and techniques may be satisfactory employed, thus utilizing a Windmoeller-Hotscher bag machine and a Pot-Devin glue applicator, a mit as above described may readily be formed.

It will be apparent that a variety of wax or polish formulations may be employed. However, it is desirable that the wax or polish be of a type which is relatively solid at normally encountered temperatures, such as those below 135 F, so that there is no bleeding of the wax or polish through the mit face 27, as viewed in FIG. 2. It is further desirable to employ a wax or polish formulation which is sufficiently fluid at temperatures over 135 F so that the wax or polish may be melted to permit application to the mit by conventional glue applicators as used in the bag arts. It is further desirable that the wax or polish at a temperature of 90 F such as may readily be attained when a hand is inserted into the mit, have a viscosity such that it may flow from the mit to a shoe or the like surface to be polished.

Satisfactory production has been obtained employing a ten pound slab of P 1316' Malcolm Nichols wax placed in a hot melt tank of a Pot-Devin applicator at a temperature of 135 F and melted to facilitate appli cation by a spot applicator arranged above the path of travel of the wax being fed to the bag forming equipment. After bag formation, the mit, at room temperature below 120 F, provides a dry, readily portable structure.

OPERATION In use the above described mit 10 may readily be carried in a suit case or the like. The solidified wax impregnated area 20 does not dirty adjacent surfaces in view of the relatively solid nature of the wax. However, should there be any concern about dirtying of the surrounding surfaces, the bag forming the unit may readily be folded over on fold line 22 to cover the wax impregnated area 20, leaving only a clean surface of the mit exposed.

When using the mit, the bag is positioned on the hand of a user, first with the wax area 20 over the palm side of the users hand. Initially it is preferred that the fingers of the user be inserted only partially into the mit, just short of the wax area 20, so that the area closer to open end 18 as viewed in FIG. 1 may be used to preliminarily clean the shoe. The irregularity of surface provided by flap l5 aids in this cleaning.

Thereafter further insertion of the fingers into the mit to a position underlying the wax area 20 enables the application of wax to a shoe surface, by rubbing the wax area 20 over the shoe. The seam l6 and flap 15 act to trowel the wax over the shoe surface, implementing wax distribution.

The mit is then turned on the hand of the user to bring the smooth mit face 27 as seen in FIG. 2 over the palm, and this smooth face 27 is employed to buff the shoe surface.

After use, the mit which is relatively inexpensive may be economically discarded.

It is thus seen that an inexpensive economically disposable polishing mit has been provided subject to ready packing in a suitcase, or the like, with the requisite shoe polish carried by the mit in a fashion such that the polish will not dirty any surrounding articles adjacent which the mit is carried or packed. A single unitary mit providing both wax and a polishing surface is provided, and the mit may be made sufficiently inexpensively so that it may be employed as a give away item, or when purchased by the user, may be economically disposed of after use.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation and not by way of limitation and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A polishing mit comprising a flat bag-like member of a size dimensioned to accommodate a human hand, said bag having a relatively smooth polishing side, and cleaning and wax applying side; a seam formed on the cleaning and wax applying side; and a wax impregnated area on the wax applying side adjacent the same whereby movement of said wax applying side over a surface to be waxed will result in deposition of the wax on the surface with the seam trowelling the deposited wax for distribution over the surface.

2. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which a flap extends from said seam adjacent said wax impregnated area.

3. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said bag like member comprises a sheet of material folded over along spaced fold lines lying at a spaced distance from the edges of said sheet defining the lateral edges of the mit; one of the folded over portions overlapped on the other to form said seam; and one end of said sheet with its overlapping folded over portions folded over the folded over portions to close one end of said mit.

4. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said mit is formed of a felted material.

5. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said wax impregnated area is impregnated with a wax having a melting point above F.

6. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said mit is formed with a fold line extending laterally across the mit to permit the mit to be folded over to enclose said wax impregnated area.

7. A polishing mit as in claim 2 in which said flap extends longitudinally for substantially the length of said mlt- UNITED STATES PATENT @FFRQE UERTHMQA'EE GE CQREQ'HN December 11, 1973 Patent No. 3, 777 328 Dated Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In claim 1, line 6, "same" should read "seam",

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April 19%.

(SEAL) Attestz, v v

EDWARD M.FLETGHER,JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attestirlg Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 6087 6-P59 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: [989 0-356-334. 5 I a PQ-105O (10-69) 

1. A polishing mit comprising a flat bag-like member of a size dimensioned to accommodate a human hand, said bag having a relatively smooth polishing side, and cleaning and wax applying side; a seam formed on the cleaning and wax applying side; and a wax impregnated area on the wax applying side adjacent the same whereby movement of said wax applying side over a surface to be waxed will result in deposition of the wax on the surface with the seam trowelling the deposited wax for distribution over the surface.
 2. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which a flap extends from said seam adjacent said wax impregnated area.
 3. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said bag like member comprises a sheet of material folded over along spaced fold lines lying at a spaced distance from the edges of said sheet defining the lateral edges of the mit; one of the folded over portions overlapped on the other to form said seam; and one end of said sheet with its overlapping folded over portions folded over the folded over portions to close one end of said mit.
 4. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said mit is formed of a felted material.
 5. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said wax impregnated area is impregnated with a wax having a melting point above 135* F.
 6. A polishing mit as in claim 1 in which said mit is formed with a fold line extending laterally across the mit to permit the mit to be folded over to enclose said wax impregnated area.
 7. A polishing mit as in claim 2 in which said flap extends longitudinally for substantially the length of said mit. 